Encomium
+talks more on his relationship with Toyin Aimakhu
Oluwaseun Olasunkanmi, better addressed as Egbeegbe, is the CEO, Ebony Films Production Nigeria Limited, a popular entertainment promotion outfit which many movie and music stars have benefitted from since its establishment about 17 years ago.
Recently, the news was all over the place and social media was agog about his alleged romance with star actress, Toyin Aimakhu. And a lot has been said and written about the lovebirds before their hitherto juicy relationship turned sour.
In this exclusive interview with ENCOMIUM Weekly on Thursday, March 23, 2016, in Ikeja, Lagos, the humble and young entrepreneur opened up on many issues, including why his relationship with Aimakhu crashed and more…
When exactly was Ebony Films Productions Nigeria Limited established?
That’s about 17 years ago.
What have been the achievements of the outfit so far?
I give thanks to God. There was nothing we’ve laid our hands on that was not successful. And if you have been in a business for that long and you still continue with that same business, that means you’re succeeding and you’re making profit or you saw something benefitting you. If you are in a business even for two years and you don’t gain anything from it, you won’t want to continue with it. But Alhamdullahi, we’re making progress in Ebony Films Production Nigeria Limited, that’s why we’re still in the business.
So, we have a lot of achievements we can point to. We give God the glory for being with us.
17 years is not a joke, what has it been like in terms of experience?
It’s full of ups and downs, but we thank God that has not affected us. There is nothing so much hard about the business. So far you know much about it, you won’t find it difficult excelling when there is turbulence. A lot of things can discourage you as an entertainment promoter. For instance, I consider it a normal thing to be disappointed by artistes. So, if such a thing happens, it won’t hit you hard let alone allow it to affect you. Even the crew can disappoint you so also your equipment. But in all, the experience has not been bad. We thank God for that.
What do you think you can do at your end to better the trade?
I am trying already. And that’s why I combined both film and music. I promote movies a little, I also shift to music. So, let me say, I run the two side by side. And I thank God, I am successful in both.
Can you mention some of the musicians you have promoted?
I have promoted many of them which people can testify to. I have promoted Alhjai Wasiu Alabi (Pasuma), Alhaji Sule Alao Malaika, Remi Aluko, Taye Currency, Wale Tekoma, Lanre Teriba (Atorise) and more.
You’re as young as this and you’re one of the most talked about promoters in the entertainment industry. How do you feel about that?
I think I should be very grateful to God for that. It’s God, not by my power or might. At times when I am alone, I begin to ponder over it. I now believe it’s all by God. It’s beyond human knowledge. I am not an actor nor a singer, but as God would have it, people know me even more than those in front of the camera always. So, I give glory to God for that.
What’s going on now from your stable?
We have done a lot, especially towards the end of last year. So, we have decided to take little rest for the first quarter of this year. For instance, we shot some movies last year, including Street Boy in Nigeria, we shot another one, Odale also in Nigeria. We also shot in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, we also shot in South Africa. That same year, I took Alhaji Wasiu Alabi (Pasuma) and Taye Currency to Dubai and some other actors including Madam Saje, Kemi Korede, Baraka, Toyin Aimakhu, Kunle Afod and more for Odale. So, I need to rest. That’s why for now, nothing is going on at Ebony Films Productions Nigeria Limited.
Now, on the issue at the moment. A lot of things have been said and written about your romance with Toyin Aimakhu, including you snatching her from her estranged hubby, Adeniyi Johnson and much more. What’s your comment on this?
First, I never snatched Toyin Aimakhu from anybody. Toyin and I have not just known each other. We have been dating ever before she knew her husband. That was about 15 years ago. Even before her husband started acting. And recently, when we now met again, she wasn’t with her husband anymore before we rekindled our romance.
That means in actual sense, you have dated before and you’re still dating?
Yes!
But there is a tale that you kidnapped her, kept her incommunicado, seized her phone and all that. And you have now parted ways with her. What’s the truth about the whole thing?
It’s always good to be patient when reacting to issues. When I heard the story, it didn’t bother me at all because I know if a mad man complains, the judge won’t be a mad man as well. Why would they say I kidnapped my girlfriend? If Toyin wasn’t on movie location, that means she was with me. And anytime she’s through at location, she comes back to my house.
And from the house, she leaves for location on and on like that. So, how would I have kidnapped a person that we live together in the same house? Would I have kidnapped her and kept her underground? So those behind the story and those still peddling it as rumour, God knows what they really want to gain from that. But left to me, I didn’t kidnap Toyin and I will never do that.
Now, what’s the situation between the two of you?
Nothing much.
Are you now in good terms?
Toyin didn’t start from me. And if you married a man and it didn’t work, heaven won’t fall. Toyin didn’t start from Seun Egbeegbe and if it happens that we don’t date again, nothing will happen because a lot of people that she dated are no more with her and those that I might have also dated are no more with me.
So, there is no big deal about that. If Toyin and Seun stop dating each other, I don’t see it as anything. If people now see it as a big deal, what of the person that Toyin was joined with in marriage and the whole thing crashed. Toyin and I are just lovers.
But they said she introduced you to her parents in Ibadan, how true is this?
There was nothing like that. The day Toyin and I went to Ibadan, it wasn’t for any introduction. What happened that day was that my friend, Kay, who is based in the UK was staging a funeral for his grandmother. That’s the reason we went to Ibadan. And we both put on the ankara aso ebi for the event. It was the ankara that people saw that day and started peddling the rumour that we went for introduction because Toyin’s parents are also based in Ibadan.
Is Toyin still staying with you now?
Since the incident, nothing like that again. Just like I said, we are just dating, not that we’re married. She left my house for Murphy Afolabi’s location and from there she was supposed to go to Kemi Korede’s location, but when she got to Murphy Afolabi’s location, she finished early and she called me that she won’t be at the location till the following day as she planned because she had finished her scenes. She said she would be coming back home. Then, she would leave the next day for Kemi Korede’s job. And she came home and the following day, when I was leaving home, I left my key with her and left. And I instructed her to leave the key with the gateman when she leaves. It’s not up to two hours that people started calling me that my girl was crying because of a guy in London. She said the guy wanted to commit suicide and she was crying. People were saying what’s her business, why was she crying because of the man. They said I should check the Instagram to confirm what they’re telling me. It’s strange to me because she didn’t discuss anything like that with me.
And immediately, I went to Instagram and confirmed it to be true. I now called Toyin and asked her what informed all the rubbish. I even told her that people out there have turned it to something else. Some people said it as if you are fooling yourself.. if at all the man wants to commit suicide and he’s your friend, there is a way you can show your feeling on Instagram other than crying That’s just the only issue we had. Apart from that, nothing else.
Is Toyin dating the guy?
She told me they’re not dating. She said they are just friends.
Okay, do you know why the man wanted to commit suicide, was it because of Toyin?
No, they said he wanted to commit suicide on a certain issue and Toyin was now crying, pleading he shouldn’t commit suicide. But Toyin had gone too far. People didn’t see it the way she saw the whole thing. People were reading meanings to her action, suspecting that maybe she’s dating the guy. And that’s why she has gone to that length. And I asked her to remove the post from Instagram but she refused. That’s why I went to Kemi Korede’s location to collect the phone from her so that she won’t disrupt Kemi’s location with her undue emotion. I collected the phone and I left immediately. Even, the day I collected the phone, I went to that location in one of my cars. I didn’t collect the key of my Range Rover Sport Toyin took to the location. I left the car with her.
My hope was that collecting the phone would calm her down and when she comes back home, I will surely return the phone to her. I have nothing to do with the phone but just to let her concentrate on her job so that she won’t disrupt Kemi’s movie. And to my surprise, not up to two hours I left the location, I saw 10 missed calls and when I called the number back, it was one of the actresses on location, her name is Taiwo Adepeko. She was there when I collected the phone from Toyin. She said she and Toyin wanted to come and beg me. I told her not to bother coming to beg me. That it’s a small issue and I told her I will give Toyin back her phone when she comes back home, she should concentrate on her job. When she’s through, she should come back home, that everything was alright with me. But to my surprise, few minutes later, I started hearing stories, Seun Egbeege has kidnapped Toyin Aimakhu and things like that.
But now, have you resolved the whole issue?
There was no misunderstanding from the beginning. What people accused me of didn’t happen. Fine, there is an issue now, because they said it’s Toyin’s personal assistant that typed the message that I kidnapped her on Toyin’s instagram. My point now is that Toyin has to go back to her instagram page and tell the public what really happened. If not, I won’t take it easy with her.
So, the only condition for you to forget about the issue is for Toyin to go to her Instagram page and correct the wrong impression of you she has created before the public?
Yes, that’s all I want because if she doesn’t withdraw the message and write the true one, those that have read it would go away and even live with the erroneous impression that I kidnapped her. Mind you, thousands of people have read the post already. How would they be looking at me? So, if a person has decided to tarnish your image, if you throw the person away from your life, I don’t think there is any crime in that. Left to me, it’s no issue but what I stand on and that is, she must remove that from her Instagram page and write another thing to erase the bad name she has given me.
So, if she doesn’t do that, that means it’s over between both of you?
You will be the first I will be telling that, and it’s because of the respect I have for you. If Toyin doesn’t correct that thing, she should forget about acting. I am saying this, and I stand by it. And I am using this medium to pass the message across to all movie producers that they should from now on stop dealing with Toyin. And anybody that calls her for jobs is on his or her own, unless she corrects that post about my person.
It’s not a threat, it’s a promise. I don’t beg anybody to heed my warning, but I will act appropriately, and I stand on my words.
But if she eventually corrects it, can you still move on with her?
There’s nothing like that again. She has gone far. It would have been better if she didn’t know anything about it truly. But said your PA did it, what does it cost you to tell the PA to drop it and correct the whole issue once and for all? So, definitely, you knew about the whole thing.
A couple of days back, you launched a new Toyota Solara, how much did it cost?
Yes, I just acquired a new Toyota Solara, and it costs me fortunes. I can’t disclose the exactly amount.
How many cars do you have in your garage now?
I have five cars, including Range Rover Sport, Totoya Avensis, Toyota Solara and more.
What’s the financial worth of these cars?
I can’t quantify everything but I think it runs into millions of naira.
Are you a car freak?
I am not. It’s just in the middle of last year that I started acquiring all these cars. Not that I so much love cars like that.
- TADE ASIFAT
